Armed with Faith: from Reformed Protestant Ministry to the Early Church with Fr. John Souza
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- čas přidán 13. 05. 2024
- Armed with Faith Season 2 Episode 8 with Fr. Gary Kyriacou of Saint Sophia Cathedral Los Angeles. saintsophia.org
Fr. Gary Kyriacou speaks with former Reformed pastor and newly ordained Orthodox Priest Fr. John Souza about his path to Orthodoxy and to the Priesthood.
Fr. John's story is a fascinating one, beginning in a nominally Catholic family in Brazil and moving through multiple educational and spiritual journeys that brought him first to Reformed Protestant Christian ministry, and later to the Orthodox Church. We hope you enjoy the conversation!
Fr. John Souza is a native of Brazil and has lived most of his life in California. Fr. John has served as a layman in the Church for the past 14 years, in various teaching and liturgical ministries. In the San Francisco Bay area Fr. John has served at Holy Trinity, Annunciation Cathedral and Resurrection.
Fr. John is also a writer and curricula developer for the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, and for the Saint John Chrysostom Festival.
Fr. John joined the Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Los Angeles in 2023 as a Pastoral Assistant. He graduated from Biola University (in La Mirada) with a B.A. in Philosophy, and later from Westminster Seminary California (in Escondido) with an M.Div.
Fr. John went on to become ABD for the Ph.D. program in the Philosophy of Religion and Theology department at Claremont Graduate University. Lastly, Fr. John graduated with an M.Div. from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston.
Fr. John and Presvytera Jennifer married on February 22, 2024. He was ordained to the Diaconate on April 6, and to the Holy Priesthood on April 7, 2024, at St. Sophia Cathedral. The Souza family enjoys exploring Southern California, especially its beautiful beaches and hiking.
I'm an Orthodox Catechumen in Brazil. I have no parish in my town, I have to wake up 3am in order to travel to participate in the divine liturgy, my catechumen classes are given by a priest from the other side of the country. Not many parishes around here, some states don't even have a single jurisdiction. it's tough. The church is small here, but there are a few young people coming to Orthodoxy, it's still a very shy movement, although it's a significant one. Please pray for all the missions in Brazil so it can reach different communities more and more.
You put me to shame brother...
@@liquidh5226 to be fair, it's not every Sunday that I can go there, first because this trip is expensive and second because our parish doesn't have s resident priest, he travels from a distant city to celebrate liturgy twice a month. Also, the Catechumen classes are online. We need more priests here, especially in the Antiochian church.
@@RepublicaAdelphi Greetings from Rocor church in Singapore. God bless your faithfulness.
Amigo, em que cidade fica a sua paróquia? Como foi o seu processo para se tornar um catecúmeno à distância?
@@Gabriel-uq6iq procure pelo Padre Mateus da Igreja Russa no Recife e entre em contato com ele. Eu faço parte da Paróquia Antioquina de São José do Rio Preto - SP. Perfil do Padre Mateus: www.youtube.com/@padremateus_pm
Thank you both so much for sharing , and Fr. John for joining St. Sophia. I also found the orthodox church closer matched my religious beliefs, after being brought up Protestant.
This video really helped me. I have been considering joining the priesthood, and this was a prayer come true for me. Father’s bless! Christ is risen!
Thank you for such an edifying interview. I’m a Brazilian Orthodox received into the Church on December 23, 2023, in the US.
Father John’s experience really resonates with me because I underwent a similar transition from a Baptist church in Brazil to Orthodoxy in the US by extensively reading the Fathers of the Church for years.
If you can point me to the Father’s doctoral thesis on St. Gregory Palamas and Thomas Aquinas, I’d be interested in reading it.
Fr. Gary, thank you for these videos and for all you have done for us. Fr. John, you are man of faith and have an extraordinary level of perseverance. We Orthodox Christinas are fortunate to have you serving as an Orthodox Priest. As the years unfold, I am certain you will have many spiritual children and teach us to be better people and Orthodox Christians. Love to you both, Dr. Bob
The Church is spreading to the corners of the world
WONDERFUL INSPIRING WITNESS SERMON THANK YOU GOD LOVES YOU BOTH AND WE LOVE YOU
Thank you Fathers. Glory to God!
BRASILLLL VAMOO
Great podcasts
It is The Heart that Counts, if these things around you, do Not Enter Into It, Truly, You will be Saved.
If possible, could you create subtitles in Portuguese? I would like to share this video among my Protestant relatives and friends in Brazil.
GOD SHINE HIS FACE UPON YOU BOTH PATER IOANNH AND GARY FILLYOUWITH HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO SERVE OBEY AND LOVE WITH ALL OF YOUR HEARTS SOULS MINDS AND STRENGTH THE ONE TRUE GOD ONE TRUE 2020 YEAR OLD OF FAITH IN JESUS ERA TO THE ORTHODOX FAITH
FATHER SON HOLY SPIRIT ONE AND UNDIVIDED FOR AS LONG AS YOU LIVE BY OUR LORDS LOVING GRACE GOD BE WITH YOU ALWAYS YOUR BELOVED FAMILY AND THE FAITHFUL FAMILY OF HIS GLORIOUS HOUSE OF PRAYER TO A LVING GOD ETERNALLY LOVE IN CHRIST ALWAYS TO THE FATHERS GLORY MAY GOD ENLIGHTEN GUIDE SAVE HIS PEOPLE I LOVE OUR FAITH OUR GOD AND SERVE HIM WITH ALL OF MY LOVE FAITH HEART SOU LAND STRENGTH SINCE HE TOUCHED MY LIFE CAME TO MY LIFE AS A CHILD AND NEVER LOOKED BACK BUT HIS SHINNY GUIDING HOLY FACE PROTECTION AND LOVE MAY GOD BLESS YOU BOTH AND KEEP YOU ETERNALLY
WE RE HONORED AND BLESSED TO HAVE TWO WONDERFUL LOVING CARING FAITHFUL SERVANTS AS A GOOD EXAMPLE TO HIS HOUSE AND THE COMMUNITY MAY GODS LOVING BLESSINGS BE WITH YOU BOTH YOUR LOVING FAMILIES AND US ALWAYS AS ONE FAITHFUL HAPPY FAMILY OF A POWERFUL GOOD KIND MERCIFUL GOD
Would it be Padre Joāo Souza in Portuguese?